U.S. patent application number 11/326450 was filed with the patent office on 2006-07-20 for image forming apparatus and a method of copying a document having irregular page.
Invention is credited to Seung-soo Lee.
Application Number | 20060158699 11/326450 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35809545 |
Filed Date | 2006-07-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060158699 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Seung-soo |
July 20, 2006 |
Image forming apparatus and a method of copying a document having
irregular page
Abstract
An image forming apparatus and a controlling method thereof. The
controlling method includes reading at least one irregular document
on a flat board unit, reading a regular document supplied by an
automatic document feeder (ADF), storing image data read from the
at least one irregular document and the regular document,
generating collate stored image data by inserting the stored image
data from the at least one irregular document into the stored image
data from the regular document according to a predetermined order;
and printing the collate stored image data.
Inventors: |
Lee; Seung-soo; (Suwon-si,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STANZIONE & KIM, LLP
919 18TH STREET, N.W.
SUITE 440
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
35809545 |
Appl. No.: |
11/326450 |
Filed: |
January 6, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
358/474 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03G 2215/00215
20130101; H04N 1/32464 20130101; H04N 1/32486 20130101; H04N
2201/0091 20130101; G03G 15/50 20130101; H04N 2201/0094
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
358/474 |
International
Class: |
H04N 1/04 20060101
H04N001/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 14, 2005 |
KR |
2005-3567 |
Claims
1. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus having an
automatic document feeder (ADF) and a flat board unit, the method
comprising: reading at least one first document on the flat board
unit; reading a second document supplied by the ADF; storing image
data read from the at least one first document and the second
document; arranging the stored image data according to a
predetermined order; and printing the arranged image data according
to the predetermined order.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the image
data according to the predetermined order; and changing the
predetermined order to generate a new order so that pages of the
image data can be arranged according to the new order.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: inputting the number
of copies; and printing the image data according to the
predetermined order and the input number of copies.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first document
comprises at least one irregular document, the second document
comprises a regular document, and the reading of the at least one
first document on the flat board unit, comprises: inputting a page
number of the at least one irregular document; and reading the
image data by scanning the at least one irregular document input
with the page number on the flat board unit.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: checking whether
there is an additional irregular document to be scanned; inputting
another page number for the additional irregular document; and
reading the image data of the additional irregular document.
6. The method of claim 4, further comprising: inputting the number
of times corresponding to the at least one irregular document; and
repeating the inputting of the page numbers of the irregular
document and the reading of the image data of the irregular
document according to the input number of times.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein the reading of the second
document supplied from the ADF comprises: reading the image data by
scanning pages of the regular document supplied by the ADF; and
allocating second page numbers to the read image data of the
respective pages of the regular document, without allocating the
second page number to the at least one irregular document.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined order is an
order in which the respective image data of the regular and
irregular documents are received.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the storing of the image data of
the at least one irregular document and the regular document
comprises storing the image data of the read regular document and
the at least one irregular document with the corresponding page
numbers.
10. An image forming apparatus having an automatic document feeder
(ADF) and a flat board unit, the image forming apparatus
comprising: a scan unit to read image data from a first document
placed on the flat board unit and a second document supplied by the
ADF; a storage unit to store the image data read from the first and
second documents; a control unit to arrange the stored image data
in a predetermined order; and a print unit to print the arranged
image data according to the predetermined order.
11. The image forming apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: a
display unit to display the stored image data arranged in the
predetermined order; and an input unit to input a new order so that
the displayed image data is rearranged according to the new
order.
12. The image forming apparatus of claim 11, wherein the scan unit
scans the first document put on the flat board unit by moving in
the conveyance direction of the document and scans the second
document supplied from the ADF in a fixed state.
13. The image forming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second
document comprises a regular document supplied by the ADF, the
first document comprises at least one irregular document placed on
the flat board unit.
14. The image forming apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: an
input unit to input a first page number of the at least one
irregular document and one or more second page numbers of one or
more pages of the regular document, wherein the control unit
allocates the second page numbers to the one or more regular
document in an order in which the one or more pages are scanned by
the scan unit while allocating the first page number to the at
least one irregular document.
15. The image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein the storage
unit stores the image data read by the scan unit with the
corresponding first and second page numbers.
16. The image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein: the input
unit inputs the number of copies; and the control unit controls the
print unit to print the image data in the predetermined order a
number of times corresponding to the input number of copies.
17. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus, the method
comprising: inputting a second page number; reading a second
document to generate second data; storing the second data of the
read second document with the second page number; inputting a first
page number and a third page number; reading a first document and a
third document to generate first and third data; storing the read
first and third documents with the first and third page numbers,
respectively; and arranging the first data, the second data, and
the third data according to the first, second, and third page
numbers.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and third documents
have a first sized document, the second document has a second sized
document different from the first sized document.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the image forming apparatus
comprises an ADF and a flat board unit, the reading of the second
document comprise reading the second document which is stationary
on the flat board unit, and the reading of the first and third
documents comprises reading the first and third documents which are
in a moving state by the ADF.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: displaying the
arranged first, second and third data.
21. The method of claim 17, further comprising: printing the
arranged first, second and third data.
22. An image forming apparatus comprising: an input unit to input a
first, a second, and a third page number; a first reading unit to
read a first and a third document to generate corresponding first
and third data; a second reading unit to read a second document to
generate corresponding second data; a storage unit to store the
first, second and third data with the first, second and third page
numbers; and a control unit to arrange the first, the second and
the third data according to the first the second and the third page
numbers.
23. A computer readable storage medium to store computer readable
codes to perform a method of controlling an image forming
apparatus, the method comprising: inputting a second page number;
reading a second document to generate second data; storing the
second data of the read second document with the second page
number; inputting a first page number and a third page number;
reading a first document and a third document to generate first and
third data; storing the read first and third documents with the
first and third page numbers, respectively; and arranging the first
data, the second data, and the third data according to the first,
second, and third page numbers.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 2005-3567, filed on Jan.
14, 2005 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire
contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present general inventive concept relates to an image
forming apparatus and a controlling method thereof. More
particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to an
image forming apparatus to copy a document in which irregular pages
are randomly included, and a method thereof.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] General image forming apparatuses, such as a copy machine
and a multi-function office machine, are equipped with a `collation
copy` function in which image data of all pages of a document
stacked on an automatic document feeder (ADF) are read as a set by
scanning, and the set of read image data is printed a number of
times corresponding to the required number of copies. For example,
when a user stacks a document comprising 5 pages on the ADF and
selects the collation copy function with the number of copies set
to 2, pages 1 to 5 of the document are printed twice.
[0006] Conventionally, however, when the document comprises an
irregular page, such as a photo or a card, which cannot be fed
through a general ADF, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a copy of the
document cannot be performed by simply stacking the whole document
on the ADF. In order to solve this problem, the following two
methods have been used traditionally. In FIG. 1, pages 1, 2, 3 and
5 have a regular size and may be fed through the general ADF for
scanning and printing afterward. However, page 4 has an irregular
size and can not be fed through the ADF. Page 4 may be a photo, a
business card, a plastic card or embossed materials.
[0007] In the first method, the regular pages 1, 2, 3 and 5 are
copied through the ADF a number of times corresponding to the
number of copies set for the collation copy function. The irregular
page 4 is placed on a platen glass and copied separately to yield
the same number of copies. Then, a user inserts manually the
irregular page 4 one by one between the regular pages in the right
order, for example, between the page 3 and the page 5 of each
set.
[0008] In the second method, the irregular page 4 is copied while
placed on the platen glass, to generate a copy of page 4 having the
regular size. The copy of page 4 now having the regular size is
inserted in the original document according to the page order,
between the page 3 and the page 5. The ordered pages are stacked on
the ADF and copied together according to the collation copy
function.
[0009] However, according to the first method, especially when the
number of copies is large, it is very cumbersome for the user to
manually insert the irregular pages which are separately copied
between the regular pages according to the right order.
[0010] Also, according to the second method, by recopying a
once-copied document the image quality deteriorates. Further, when
the document includes one or more irregular pages, the user has to
put the irregular pages on the platen glass and copy the irregular
pages one by one. Then, the user has to insert the separately
copied pages between the regular pages according to the right order
and then to stack the whole document on the ADF. The second method
is also a very inefficient method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present general inventive concept provides an image
forming apparatus to copy a document including irregular pages
without separately copying and inserting into regular pages the
irregular pages or recopying the irregular pages, and a method
thereof.
[0012] Additional aspects and advantages of the present general
inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description
which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description,
or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.
[0013] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept are achieved by providing a method of controlling
an image forming apparatus having an automatic document feeder
(ADF) and a flat board unit for collation copy, the method
comprising reading at least one first document on the flat board
unit, reading a second document supplied by the ADF, storing image
data read from documents the at least one first document and the
second document, arranging the stored image data according to a
predetermined order, and printing the arranged image data according
to the predetermined order.
[0014] The method may further comprise displaying the image data
according to the predetermined order, and changing the
predetermined order to generate a new order so that pages of the
image data can be arranged according to the new order.
[0015] The method may further comprise inputting the number of
copies, and printing of the image data according to the
predetermined order and the input number of copies.
[0016] The at least one first document may comprise at least one
irregular document, the second document may comprise a regular
document, and the reading of the at least one irregular document on
the flat board unit, may comprise inputting a page number of the at
least one irregular document, and reading the image data by
scanning the at least one irregular document input with the page
number on the flat board unit.
[0017] The method may further comprise checking whether there is
additional irregular document to be scanned, and inputting another
page number for the additional irregular document and reading the
image data of the additional irregular document.
[0018] The method further comprises inputting the number of times
corresponding to the at least one irregular document; and repeating
the inputting of the page numbers of the irregular document and the
reading of the image data of the irregular document according to
the input number of times.
[0019] The reading the second document supplied from the ADF may
comprise reading the image data by scanning the regular document
supplied by the ADF, and allocating second page numbers to the read
image data of the regular document, without allocating the input
second page number to the at least one irregular document.
[0020] The predetermined order may be an order in which the
respective image data of the regular and irregular documents are
received.
[0021] The storing of the image data of the at least one irregular
document and the regular document may comprise storing the image
data of the read regular document and the at least one irregular
document with the corresponding page numbers.
[0022] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image
forming apparatus having an automatic document feeder (ADF) and a
flat board unit for collation copy, the image forming apparatus
comprising a scan unit to read image data from a a first document
placed on the flat board unit and a second document supplied by the
ADF, a storage unit to store the image data read from the first and
second documents, a control unit to arrange the stored image data
in a predetermined order, and a print unit to print the arranged
image data according to the predetermined order.
[0023] The image forming apparatus may further comprise a display
unit to display the stored image data arranged in the predetermined
order, and an input unit to input a new order so that the displayed
image data is rearranged according to the new order.
[0024] The scan unit may scan the document placed on the flat board
unit by moving in a conveyance direction and scans the document
supplied from the ADF in a fixed position.
[0025] The second document may comprise a regular document supplied
by the ADF and the first document may comprise at least one
irregular document placed on the flat board unit.
[0026] The image forming apparatus may further comprise an input
unit to input a first page number of the at least one irregular
document and one or more second page numbers of one or more pages
of the regular document. The control unit may allocate the second
page numbers to the one or more regular document in an order in
which the one or more pages are scanned by the scan unit, while
allocating the first page number to the at least one irregular
document.
[0027] The storage unit may store the image data read by the scan
unit with the corresponding first and second page numbers.
[0028] The input unit may further input the number of copies, and
the control unit may control the print unit to print the image data
in the predetermined order a number of times corresponding to the
input number of copies.
[0029] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a method of
controlling an image forming apparatus, the method including
inputting a second page number, reading a second document to
generate second data, storing the second data of the read second
document with the second page number, inputting a first page number
and a third page number, reading a first document and a third
document to generate first and third data, storing the read first
and third documents with the first and third page numbers,
respectively, and arranging the first data, the second data, and
the third data according to the first, second, and third page
numbers.
[0030] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image
forming apparatus including an input unit to input a first, a
second, and a third page number, a first reading unit to read a
first and a third document to generate corresponding first and
third data, a second reading unit to read a second document to
generate corresponding second data, a storage unit to store the
first, second and third data with the first, second and third page
numbers, and a control unit to arrange the first, the second and
the third data according to the first the second and the third page
numbers.
[0031] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general
inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a computer
readable storage medium to store computer readable codes to perform
a method of controlling an image forming apparatus, the method
including inputting a second page number, reading a second document
to generate second data, storing the second data of the read second
document with the second page number, inputting a first page number
and a third page number, reading a first document and a third
document to generate first and third data, storing the read first
and third documents with the first and third page numbers,
respectively, and arranging the first data, the second data, and
the third data according to the first, second, and third page
numbers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present
general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily
appreciated from the following description of the embodiments,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a document which includes irregular pages
that can not be fed through an automatic document feeder (ADF) in a
conventional image forming apparatus;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an image forming
apparatus according to an embodiment of the present general
inventive concept;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling
the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the
present general inventive concept; and
[0036] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating operations S320 and S330
of the method of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0037] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of
the present general inventive concept, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are
described below in order to explain the present general inventive
concept while referring to the figures.
[0038] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus
according to an embodiment of the present general inventive
concept.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 2, an image forming apparatus 200
comprises a flat board unit 210, a scan unit 220, an automatic
document feeder (ADF) 230, an input unit 240, a display unit 250, a
storage unit 260, a control unit 270 and a print unit 280. The scan
unit 220, the ADF 230, the input unit 240, the display unit 250,
the storage unit 260, the control unit 270 and the print unit 280
communicate with one another through a data bus 290.
[0040] The ADF 230 supplies regular documents having a
predetermined size, as stacked thereon, to the scan unit 220 sheet
by sheet so that image data corresponding to pages of the regular
document are successively read. The regular document herein refers
to a document having a page size suitable for the ADF 230, which
stacks and feeds the document to read the image data. The regular
document may be A4-size paper or B5-size paper.
[0041] The flat board unit 210 is a document tray to place an
irregular document thereon. The flat board unit 210 may be formed
of transparent platen glass or transparent plastic. The irregular
documents, such as a photo, a business card, a plastic card,
embossed material, etc., have sizes not suitable to be processed
through the ADF 230 to the scan unit 220. Therefore, the irregular
documents are placed on the flat board unit 210 so that the image
data corresponding to the irregular documents are read one by one.
The regular documents can be placed on the flat board unit 210 to
be scanned, and the irregular documents may be scanned using the
ADF 230.
[0042] The scan unit 220 scans the regular document to read the
image data in an order in which the pages are supplied from the ADF
230. The scan unit 220 also scans the irregular document placed on
the flat board unit 210 to thereby read the corresponding image
data. The scan unit 220 comprises a scanning module (not shown)
which scans the irregular document placed on the flat board unit
210 by moving in a conveyance direction of the document and scans
the regular document being supplied by the ADF 230 in a fixed
position.
[0043] The user may select a copy mode, such as a duplicate copy
mode, a collation copy mode, a magnification copy mode and a
reduction copy mode, to be performed in the image forming apparatus
200 and may set the number of copies, using the input unit 240. The
input unit 240 sends the user-selected mode, the number of copies,
and other user input data to the control unit 270. The input unit
240 comprises character keys, numeric keys and shortcut keys to
enable the user to select functions. If the collation copy mode is
selected, the user inputs through the input unit 240 information on
whether the document includes any irregular document and a page
number of the irregular document. When any error occurs in the
order of the image data displayed through the display unit 250, the
user inputs a new order using the keys of the input unit 240. The
new order is transmitted to the control unit 270 to correct the
error.
[0044] Under the control of the control unit 270, the display unit
250 displays menu screens to select various operations of the image
forming apparatus 200 and to display operation states of the image
forming apparatus 200. The display unit 250 may be a liquid crystal
display (LCD) panel. The display unit 250 displays the image data
arranged by the control unit 270 so that the user is able to verify
whether the order is right, that is, whether the regular documents
and the irregular document are arranged according to the set
order.
[0045] The storage unit 260 stores controlling programs for
operating the image forming apparatus 200 and various data
generated during the operation of the image forming apparatus 200.
More specifically, the storage unit 260 stores the image data read
by the scan unit 220. In addition, the storage unit 260 stores the
page number of the irregular document input through the input unit
240, and page numbers allocated to the image data read from the
regular documents.
[0046] The print unit 280 prints the image data read by the scan
unit 220 according to a predetermined printing condition, under the
control of the control unit 270. The print unit 280 prints the
image data stored in the storage unit 260 in the set order. The
printing order is described in greater detail hereinafter.
[0047] The control unit 270 controls the overall operations of the
image forming apparatus 200. More specifically, when the collation
copy mode is selected, the control unit 270 displays a message
through the display unit 250 to check whether one or more documents
to be copied include any irregular document. When the documents to
be copied include an irregular document, the control unit 270
displays a message inquiring the page number of the irregular
document. The page number is input by the user through the input
unit 240, and stored in the storage unit 260 together with the
image data of the irregular document read by the scan unit 220.
[0048] The control unit 270 allocates (assigns) the page numbers to
the image data of the regular documents supplied from the ADF 230
and read by the scan unit 220 while not assigning the page numbers
to the irregular document, and also assigns the page number to the
irregular document. Then, the control unit 270 arranges the read
image data of the irregular document and the regular document
according to the page numbers. The page numbers of the regular
documents do not include the page number of the irregular
document.
[0049] The control unit 270 transmits the image data from the
storage unit 260 to the print unit 280 in the order of the page
numbers and controls to repeat printing of the image data a number
of times according to the number of copies. Through the above
processes, the collation copy mode is performed for the documents
comprising the regular documents and the irregular document in the
order of the page numbers.
[0050] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling
an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the
present general inventive concept.
[0051] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, when the collation copy mode is
selected through the input unit 240 (operation S310), the control
unit 270 stores the image data of the irregular document, that is
placed on the flat board unit 210 and read by the scan unit 220, in
the storage unit 260 (operation S320). The image data obtained by
scanning the regular document supplied by the ADF 230 is stored in
the storage unit 260 (operation S330). The operations S320 to S330
are described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 4. A message
inquiring whether the document to be copied includes at least one
irregular document is displayed on the display unit 250 to be
confirmed by the user (operation S321).
[0052] When it is confirmed that the document to be copied includes
the irregular document, the control unit 270 displays on the
display 250 a message prompting the user to input the page number
of the irregular document (operation S322). When the document to be
copied does not include the irregular document, the image data of
the regular document stacked on the ADF 230 is read by the scan
unit 220 (operation S331) and the collation copy mode is performed
with the read image data.
[0053] When the user inputs the page number of the irregular
document, the control unit 270 reads the image data of the
irregular document placed on the flat board unit 210 with the scan
unit 220 (operation S323), and stores in the storage unit 260 the
input page number and the corresponding image data of the irregular
document (operation S324).
[0054] The control unit 270 displays through the display unit 250 a
message to check whether there is an additional irregular document
to be scanned (operation S325). When there is the additional
irregular document to be scanned, operations S322 to S324 are
repeated until there is no additional irregular document to be
scanned. According to the present embodiment, it can be checked
every time when the scanned irregular document is stored, whether
there is the additional irregular document to be scanned. However,
when one or more page numbers of the irregular documents are input
in the operation S321, the operations S322 to S324 may be repeated
the input number of times corresponding to the one or more page
numbers, the operation S325 can be omitted.
[0055] After the image data of all irregular documents is read, the
control unit 270 controls the ADF 230 to consecutively supply the
stacked regular document to the scan unit 220, to thereby read the
image data of the regular document (operation S331).
[0056] Then, the control unit 270 allocates (assigns) page numbers,
to the read image data of the regular documents in an order of
scanning the image data. The image data of the regular document and
the corresponding allocated page numbers are stored together in the
storage unit 260 (operation S332).
[0057] Then, the control unit 270 arranges the stored image data of
the irregular documents and the regular document, according to the
order of the page numbers (operation S340).
[0058] The control unit 270 displays on the display unit 250 the
image data according to the arranging order so that the user can
check whether the arranging order of the image data is correct
(operation S360). When there is an error in the order of the image
data, the control unit 270 receives a new arranging order input by
the user using the input unit 240 and corrects the order with a new
arranging order so that pages of the image data can be renumbered
or rearranged according to the new arranging order (operation
S370).
[0059] Then, the control unit 270 transmits the image data stored
in the storage unit 260 to the print unit 280 to print the image
data in the arranging order a number of times corresponding to the
set number of copies (operation S380).
[0060] According to an embodiment of the present general inventive
concept, when copying a document comprising both pages of a regular
size and pages of an irregular size, the collation copy can be
performed without having to separately copy the irregular document
which cannot be supplied to a scanner through an ADF, and insert
the separately copied document one by one into the regular
document.
[0061] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present
general inventive concept, since the irregular document is not
copied to be in the regular size and then recopied together with
the rest regular document, deterioration of the image quality,
caused by the recopying, can be prevented.
[0062] The general inventive concept can also be embodied as
computer readable codes on a computer readable recording medium.
The computer readable recording medium is any data storage device
that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer
system. Examples of the computer readable recording medium include
read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs,
magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and
carrier waves (such as data transmission through the Internet). The
computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over a
network coupled to the computer systems so that the computer
readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.
[0063] Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive
concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these
embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the
general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the
appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *